Active Management

Definition

Active management is an investment strategy where a fund manager or a team of professionals actively make decisions to buy, sell, or hold assets based on their research, analysis, and market forecasts. The primary goal of active management is to consistently outperform the market or a specific benchmark index over the long term. This approach is in contrast to passive management, where investments are held for long periods with minimal trading, generally following a benchmark index.

Phonetic

The phonetic pronunciation of the keyword “Active Management” is:- Active: /ˈæktɪv/- Management: /ˈmænɪdʒmənt/

Key Takeaways

1. Active management relies on human expertise and decision-making to outperform the market, as opposed to passive management, which simply tracks an index. Fund managers use research, market analysis, and their own insight to make investment choices on behalf of the clients.
2. Active management can potentially deliver higher returns than passive management, as it aims to capitalize on market inefficiencies and find investment opportunities. However, achieving consistent outperformance is challenging, and active funds tend to have higher fees compared to passive funds due to the increased resources required for research and analysis.
3. Active management works best in inefficient markets or sectors, such as small-cap stocks or emerging markets, where there is a higher possibility of finding undervalued assets. Investors should be aware that active management involves a higher degree of risk, and they should carefully evaluate the expertise and track record of the fund manager before investing.

Importance

Active management is an important concept in business and finance because it involves a hands-on approach by portfolio managers who actively make investment decisions, analyzing and selecting individual assets with the aim of outperforming the market or a specific benchmark. This tailored strategy, based on research, forecasting, and market expertise, allows for potential risk management and the possibility of generating higher returns. It enables investors to choose specific investments that align with client preferences, risk tolerance, and financial goals more so than a passive approach where investor performance mirrors the broader market. Active management can adapt to changing market conditions, often focusing on delivering better long-term results, notwithstanding the generally higher fees associated with this approach.

Explanation

Active management serves the purpose of striving to achieve superior investment performance by meticulously analyzing and selecting individual stocks and other assets with the aim of beating the market averages. This approach is founded on the belief that skilled fund managers, leveraging their expertise, experience, and comprehensive understanding of financial markets, can identify investment opportunities presenting better potential for returns and risk adjustments. Active managers take calculated decisions based on in-depth research, financial forecasts, economic trends, and the overall business climate to adjust and reposition their investment portfolio accordingly. The principle utilization of active management is in the realm of investment funds, particularly mutual funds and hedge funds. By employing active management techniques, fund managers seek to capitalize on market inefficiencies, identify undervalued assets, and exploit pricing anomalies. This allows investors to potentially achieve higher returns than benchmark indices and passive investment strategies. As a result, active management has been known to be particularly effective during periods of market volatility, where skilled managers can demonstrably navigate and adapt to changing market dynamics. Although active management generally incurs higher fees and transaction costs compared to passive strategies, investors may still find it beneficial considering its potential for generating alpha – performance that exceeds the market average – provided a competent and experienced fund manager is at the helm.

Examples

Active management refers to the strategy where a portfolio manager actively makes decisions about which assets to hold in a portfolio, with the aim of outperforming a specified benchmark or index. Here are three real-world examples of active management in the business and finance world: 1. Fidelity Investments: Founded in 1946, Fidelity Investments is one of the largest active management firms globally. They offer a wide range of actively managed mutual funds and separately managed accounts, covering multiple asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, and commodities. Fidelity’s portfolio managers research, analyze and make decisions on the securities to be held in these portfolios based on their individual expertise and ongoing market analysis. 2. T. Rowe Price: T. Rowe Price is an American global investment management firm, founded in 1937 by Thomas Rowe Price, Jr., who is considered to be one of the pioneers of modern active investment management. The company offers a vast range of actively managed funds across various asset classes and sectors, such as the T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth Fund, which focuses on investing in well-established, high-quality companies. Portfolio managers of these funds use fundamental research, industry knowledge, and experience to make informed decisions on which securities to add, hold, or sell within the fund. 3. BlackRock Active Equity Strategies: BlackRock, known for its extensive range of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and passive investment products, also offers a suite of active management strategies, particularly through active equity funds. These funds actively invest in both developed and emerging markets, involving in-depth research and analysis by portfolio managers who make deliberate choices to hold specific stocks that they believe will outperform the market or chosen benchmark. Examples of these active equity strategies include the BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Fund and the BlackRock Global Dynamic Equity Fund. In each of these examples, active management is showcased through the ongoing decision-making process of professional portfolio managers, aimed at achieving superior investment performance relative to a specific benchmark or index.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Related Finance Terms

• Portfolio Manager
• Asset Allocation
• Fundamental Analysis
• Risk-adjusted Performance
• Benchmark Outperformance

Sources for More Information

• Investopedia
• Finance Strategists
• Wikipedia
• WallStreetMojo